Refrigeration apparatus



March 9, 1943. G. A. HALFVARSON REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed May 7, 1941 2 SheetsSheet 2 N O. m A 3 N)- E A F A T S u G 2 G I6 m z WITNESSES:

BY Z 5 Z ATTORN Patented Mar. 9, 1943 REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Gustaf A. Halfvarson, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of 7 Pennsylvania Application May 7, 1941, Serial No. 392,195

7 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical refriger- W ation apparatus, particularly to. refrigeration ap- A still further object is to provide an improved mounting'for the compressor of a refrigerator,

wherein a minimum of the vibrations set up by the compressor is transmitted to the condenser. With most resilient mountings for compressors of refrigerators, it is necessary to provide shipping bolts or ties to hold the compressor stationary in order to prevent injury to the resilient mounting when shipping the refrigerator. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved resilient mounting for the compressor of a refrigerator wherein the' assembled refrigerator may be shipped without the use of additionalshipping bolts or ties for the compressor and without injury to the'resiiient mounting of the compressor.

These and other objects are efiected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which: J

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a refrigerator embodying this invention, with parts broken away for the sake of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a view approximately as seen on line IIII of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 4 is a section taken on line IV IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail of asoft rubber grommet. Referring specifically to the drawings fora detailed description of this invention, numeral l0 desighates'generally a domestic refrigerator cabinet. -The.cabinet, I0 comprises an insulated chamber ll formed by an inner metal liner l2 and an outer metal shell I3 between which insulating material I4 is packed. An evaporator for cooling the chamber I I is supported in the upper portion thereof. The chamber Ii is provided with a door I 6 and has an opening ii in its rear wall through which the evaporator I5 is inserted. The outer metal shell l3 continues downwardly beyondthe insulated chamber II to provide a'machinery compartment l8 for housing a compressor I9. The machinery compartment has an opening in the rear thereof, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. A plate condenser is attached to the back of the cabinet ID by screws 2|, or" any other suitable means. manently mounted on and supported by the condenser 20. The compressor is inserted through the opening in the back of the machinery compartment i8 and projectslinto the machinery compartment when the condenser 20 is positioned on the back of the cabinet I0.

The condenser 20 comprises a channeledmetal plate 26 formed of a single thickness of metal having two marginal side edges 21 which are bent outwardly to form attachment Qfianges 28.

A -An undulating tube 23 is preferably brazed to the .concave or inner surface of the metal plate 26.

The compressor unit I 9 comprises a sealed casing which encloses a reciprocating pump and a motor (not shown) for driving the same, substantially as shown in the copending application of Elliott E. Grover, Serial No. 250,192, filed January 10, 1939, and assignedto the assignee of the present application.

. A U-shaped yoke or bracket 32, including side portions 23and an end portion 24,'is attached to the flanges 28 of the condenser by rivets 3|, or some other suitable means. The compressor unit I9 is resiliently supported on the bracket 32 'by four ,closely-wound coiled tension springs 33. As seen from Figs.,,1'and 3, these springs are positioned two on a side of two opposite sides of the unit IS. The springs 33 have hooked ends 34 and 35, and the upper ends 34 of the same are carried on tabs 36 which are punched out of the sides 23 of the bracket 32 and extend substantially normal from the same. Brackets 38 are attached to two opposite sides of the compressor casing 30, .by welding or some other suitable means, and extend substantially longitudinally of the compressor casing. Each of these brackets has holes 39 provided in its end portions into which .the lower hooked ends 35' of the springs 33 are hooked. Vibration of the compressor unit l9 incident to its operation is ab- The compressor unit I9 is per-' the brackets 38 into which a soft rubber grommet 43 having a center opening 48 therein is positioned. As shown best by Fig. 5 each grommet 43 has a groove 56 in its bumper surface. This groove divides the bumper surface of the grom- 1 met, fits against the end of the nipple 44. A.

bolt 46 extends through the washer 45, the nipple 44, and the bracket 38, and a nut 41 is threaded on the bolt 45 to clamp the nipple 44 and the washer 45 to the bracket 38. As seen from Figs. 1 and 3, the two snubbers 4| on each side of the compressor are located between the two springs 33 on the respective side of the unit; however, it will be understood that the snubbers may be arranged in any satisfactory manner.

The springs 33 have sufficient tension to freely support the compressor unit so that the nipples 44 of the snubbers 4| do not normally touch the portions 51 and 58 of the grommets 43, but if the compressor receives a bump or jar, for instance, during shipping, sufficient to overcome the tension of the springs 33, the unit moves upwardly or downwardly until the nipples 44 strike the portions 51 and 58 of the soft rubber grommets 43, which absorb the shock. Likewise, if the compressor unit |9 receives a sidewise bump or jar, the effect of, the same is transmitted to the soft rubber grommets by the brackets 38' and the washers 45. Accordingly, the snubbers 4| permit free suspension of the compressor unit l9 from the condenser 20 by the springs 33, but prevent any abnormal movement ofthe. compressor unit such as might overload and permanently distort the springs 33, or break loosev the tubing connections- The evaporator I5 issconnected with the refrigerant compressing unit l9 by means of a suction tube 50, and a pressure tube 5| connects the compressor unit with the upper end of the undulating tube 29. The lower end of the tube 29 connects with a capillary tube 52 through a screening device 53. The other end of the capillary tube 52 connects to a second tube 54 which connects with the interior of the bottom of the evaporator l5. Refrigerant vapor is compressed in the compressor unit l9 and is conveyed to the upper portion of the plate condenser 20, wherein the vapor condenses to a liquid which flows through the screening device 53, through the capillary tube 52 to the evaporator- I5, where it absorbs heat and evaporates. The vapor returns through the tube 50 to the compressor unit l9.

Cyclic operation of the compressor unit is governed by a well-known temperature-responsive controlling device 60 which comprises suitable mechanism (not shown) for establishing electrical contact between a power supply and the compressor unit l9.

An advantage of the compressor mounting provided by this invention is that the snubbers 4| limit movement of the compressor in all directions and the refrigerator may be shipped without providing any additional shipping bolts or ties and without danger of injuring the resilient mounting of the compressor or breaking loose any of the tubing joints.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that this invention provides improved refrigeration apparatus of the household or domestic type having the compressor permanently mounted and resiliently supported on the condenser. It will also be seen that vibrations incident to the operation of the compressor are absorbed by the compressor mounting rather than being transmitted to the condenser.

. While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in h the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a cabinet, an insulated compartment therein, a machine compartment below the insulated compartment, a plate condenser secured to the rear wall of said cabinet and extending downwardly to the machine compartment, a refrigerant compressing unit in the machine compartment, a bracket attached to the plate condenser and projecting into the machine compartment, and tension springs coacting between said bracket and said refrigerant compressing unit and resiliently supporting said refrigerant compressing unit from said. bracket.

2. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a cabinet, an insulated compartment therein, a machine compartment below the insulated compartment, a plate condenser secured to the rear wall of said cabinet and extendin downwardly to the machine compartment, a refrigerant compressing unit in the machine compartment, a bracket attached to the plate condenser and extending into the machine compartment, a plurality of tension springs coacting between the bracket and the refrigerant compressing unit and resiliently supporting said refrigerant compressing unit from said bracket, and

springs, thereby preventing overloading or permanent distortion of said springs.

3. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a plate condenser, a U-shaped bracket attached by its legs to the marginal edges of said condenser, a refrigerant compressing unit located between the legs of said U-shaped bracket, tension springs connected to each leg of said bracket, said springs extending substantially vertically from said brackets and having their lower ends attached to said refrigerant compressing unit and resiliently supporting said refrigerant compressing unit from said bracket, and other resilient means coacting between said U-shaped bracket and said refrigerant compressing unit and limiting the magnitude of extension of said tension springs thereby preventing overloading or permanent distortion of said springs.

4. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a plate condenser, a bracket attached to said condenser, a refrigerant compressing unit, resilient means coacting between said bracket and at least two sides of said compressing unit and resiliently supporting saidcompressing unit from said bracket, and other resilient means loosely coacting between said bracket and at least two sides of said compressing unit, said second resilient'means serving to limit the magnitude of vertical movement of said first resilient means and to limit the sidewise movement of saidcompressing unit and absorb the vibrations incident to the sidewise movement of the compressing unit. 5. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a plate condenser, a U-shaped bracket -attached to said condenser, a refrigerant compressing-unit located between the legs of said bracket, second brackets attached to each of two opposite sides of said compressing unit, each of said second brackets being adjacent to on leg of said U-shaped bracket; two tension springs coacting between 'each leg of said U-shaped bracket and the second bracket adjacent the respective leg of said U-shaped bracket and re siliently supporting said compressing unit. from said U-shaped bracket, soft rubber grommets positioned in apertures in the legs of said U- shaped bracket, and means extending from said second-mentioned brackets and projecting through said grommets, said means serving to limit the magnitude of extension of said tension springs to prevent overloading or permanent distortion of-the same, saidgrommets serving to absorb the shock incident to said means contacting the same and the vibrations setup by the sidewise movement of said compressing unit.

6. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a cabinet, an insulated compartment therein, a machinery-compartment below the insulated compartment, a plate condenser secured to the rear wall 01' said cabinet and extending downwardly to the machinery compartment, means for resiliently supporting said refrigerant compressing unit from said plate condenser, said means including a bracket attached to said plate condenser and projecting into said machinery compartment and springs coacting between said bracket and said refrigerant compressor unit.

7. In a mechanical refrigerator, the combination of a cabinet, an insulated compartment therein, a "machine compartment below the insulated compartment, a condenser secured to the rear wall of said cabinet and extending downwardly to the machine compartment, a refrigerant compressing unit in the machine compartthereby preventing overloading or permanent distortion of said spri gs.

GUSTAF a. miLr'vaRsoN. 

